• Tag Archives Deep Ellum

  • “It really all started with New Orleans.” Ginny Bishop

    Posted on by The Thousand Yard Stare Comment

    Since I actually don’t get out much, I’m pleased to say that thanks to the burlesquers, they introduced me to a really cool dive/not dive bar that I really like out in Deep Ellum.

    The Black Swan Saloon outwardly is a non-descript end of one of the strips, across from Trees and next to La Grange. The first time I went in, I wasn’t even sure I was in the right place. No signage! (Obviously stolen image from google, since there’s a watermark right in the middle. I digress)

    Once you get inside and see the containers of fruit soaking in booze behind the bar, you pretty quickly realize that this isn’t a normal bar. The vibe is cool and Gabe, the owner, is really set on making some really fresh and unique drinks. I’ve read a lot about the cocktail culture in Houston (ala Anvil) And actually, the only reason I thought to write about it was that he introduced me to a new cocktail last time. The Vieux Carre, which translated is “Old Square”.

    Gabe suggested it after I had ordered a Sazerac – which historically is considered the USA’s first cocktail.  I was really impressed that he had the actual Herbsaint absinthe as called for in an “authentic” recipe. The Vieux Carre is a lot like a Manhattan, but a little sweeter. A typical Manhattan has a weird tinge for me, but the Vieux Carre (pronounced “Voo-Car-Ay”) was a lot  smoother and a great sipping drink.

    The other thing I usually drink there is a Pecan infusion – which is bourbon that has had pecans soaking in it. Good stuff.  The atmosphere is really laid back, and I’ve found myself talking to random people who aren’t in my “scene” and generally had a great time.

    Check it out if you’re down in Deep Ellum.


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  • “Crude classifications and false generalizations are the curse of organized life.” George Bernard Shaw

    Posted on by The Thousand Yard Stare Comment

    Hoo-lee crap. I discovered something today.

    There are about a million USB cables out in my garage.

    Due to a “E-recycling” event that’s coming up at work  in about four days, I was moved to clean out all the boxes and boxes of tech stuff that I’ve accumulated over about ten years. Some of it you hold on to because you never know when it might come in handy, other times it’s a, “I always need USB cables”.

    Really, did I ever think that of the four (absolute crap) audio cards that I had stashed and unused (because they didn’t work) that I would use them again?

    On the plus side, I finally cleaned all the tech garbage out of the attic. Such a relief.  Rather than undeniable fatigue that comes from thinking about “stuff stashed in the attic”, it has now been replaced with pure relief of knowing that there’s nothing up there that needs to be cleaned out. Just the usual decorations, etc. Stuff that’s supposed to be there.

    Also went to a performance yesterday at the Meyerson out in Dallas.  Pretty swank place – I liked it a lot. My daughter performed in her school symphonic band.  My crappy camera was overwhelmed by the space/distance and decided to blur pretty much everything. View from the floor, past some balconies, up at the ceiling:

    Here’s some shots from last weekend – we went to Deep Ellum on the Dart train for the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, it was rainy and somewhat cold but we made the best of it and had a good time. Deep Ellum and Oak Cliff are rivals for coolness, but I like Deep Ellum a little better.

    I will note, this was the first time that we were asked for tickets.  One of the Dart officers went throughout the train and asked for tickets. A homeless man saw the guy a mile a way and he was off the train in a flash. He didn’t get busted, but a girl sitting across the aisle from us did.  The officer made her go buy a ticket.  He also kind of scared me after he busted her – he looked at my daughter and said, “What school does she go to?”. I answered all his questions which ended with a statement that I could have bought a student priced ticket if she shows her school ID. Nice of him to do that.


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  • “In general there’s a lot of sameness in the songs and videos today. It all runs in to one mishmash” ~ Christine McVie

    Posted on by The Thousand Yard Stare Comment

    Since it’s obviously been a while, there’s quite a few things I guess I can cover.

    Click for article @ Dallas Observer
    Photo Credit: Alison V. Smith ~ Click photo for article @ Dallas Observer

    * Fairly recently, I was shocked to see that someone I had met had passed away. Frankie 45, lead singer/guitarist of Spector 45 passed away on New Year’s Eve/Day. I had met him at Club Dada, when Unknown Hinson had swung through. Or at least I think that’s when I met him….

    He was tending bar, jumped from behind the bar to play a set, then jumped back behind the bar. I asked him how he liked his Electromatic 5120 – he said that he loved it. I was tremendously impressed that he did that – returning to tending bar covered in sweat after frantically jumping, singing, and soloing all over the stage.

    One of the things that struck me about his passing was my reflection about how I’ve never really accomplished what I wanted to do in a musical setting. Here was this kid MAKING it HAPPEN. Seems that all my musical heroes had the drive to get it done – it’s what they pursued. While Frankie wasn’t a hero of mine per se, I gave the guy a lot of credit for getting out there and doing what he obviously loved. I now wish I had that kind of drive at his age. Until he passed I didn’t realize what a fixture he was in Deep Ellum.  Extremely nice guy, and a loss to the Dallas music scene.

    That being said, I look back at the wasted years of much of my youth and wonder what I could have done with myself had I pushed myself.  Did my upbringing contribute to my lack of focus? I’m sure it did, but quantitatively, how much – and how little?  My limiting thought process holds me back, as I’m sure it did back then too.

    * We’ve been working on a bunch of different rooms in the house, but because we’ve spread the work around, there’s no one “complete” room ready for photography.  My house is definitely becoming a very swank pad (thanks babe!). My daughter, who is typically the one who has seen the worst then the “big reveal”, has also been tremendously impressed. Of course, she’s also semi-patiently waiting for me to finish reworking her bathroom – which is taking some time while I strip some more tile out.

    * I’ve been doing a ton of work on another portion of my blog, “So you wanna be in a band?” – in which I’ve reworked a lot of graphics and images and cleaned up formatting at least twice over. I contacted J Yuenger (the writer of the material) and he kindly linked his blog to mine – his original plan was to scan the magazines in after retrieving them from storage. I personally know how much of a pain that is, so I’m glad this ended up being helpful to him. I added some scans of Tattoo Magazines that made an impression on me around that time too.

    * The Wanda Jackson/Jack White album is pretty cool. I dig it.

    * Lastly, I had a hernia check by my General Practicioner when I was eight or so. I then some twenty years later stood behind him in the Montrose Disco Kroger in Houston, trying to figure out where I knew him from. It’s a little disconcerting when you realize that the dude you’re standing behind had his hands on your scrote at some point in your life.


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